The present disclosure relates to a movable footboard or retractable step, fitted to a rail vehicle.
In passenger cars of rail-bound vehicles, there is the problem that, under certain operating conditions, a gap exists between the bottommost fixed step of the vehicle and the end wall of the platform. The gap represents an obstacle and a danger for elderly and frail individuals, for children and dogs, but also for luggage and the like which has to be pulled along. Strongly differing geometric boundary conditions can exist at different railway stations, even those under the very same rail administration. In modern, generally air-sprung vehicles, a wide variety of car body positions can occur in relation to the rails, according to passenger numbers, passenger distribution and, where appropriate, occurring defects in the pneumatic suspension. Thus, it appears that there is no possibility of standardizing this gap at all the scheduled stops nor of making the gap, in practice, as small as might be wished.
There is, therefore, the need for a retractable step which at present, for reasons of space, can only be disposed on the underside of the car body. This means that the retractable step can only be used where it is situated above the top edge of the platform, since it otherwise strikes the end wall of the platform as it is extended, and, in most cases, is retracted again by an automatic collision recognition system. In order to cope with the increasing passenger numbers, particularly in short-distance traffic, there is now increasingly the tendency to use double-deck cars in which the underside of the car body is placed very low down in order, within the structure clearance, to provide sufficient height for the accommodation of two passenger decks. With these cars, or, indeed, with single-deck cars with a low-lying deck, it has previously not been possible to provide retractable steps of this type.
A further problem resides in the fact that obstacles in the region of the retractable steps, for example platforms of above-average height, equipment located next to the track, or waiting passengers, may lead to unfortunate, sometimes dangerous collisions. In connection with the extensible steps, there is therefore the need to monitor and, where necessary, halt the motional sequence during the extension.
The present disclosure relates to providing a retractable step which addresses the above requirements and is operative and usable even under the above usage conditions.
According to the present disclosure, a guide rail, at a platform-remote end of a retractable step runs obliquely or in a curve. In addition, the retractable step is of a curved or bent configuration. It is thereby possible to extend the platform-side edge of the retractable step in an obliquely upward-running direction, so that it even gets over platform top edges which are higher than the retractable step in its rest position. According to the present disclosure, a monitoring of the motional sequence of the retractable step is achieved by the fitting of sensors at certain places on the retractable step, on the guide, or in the drive unit of the retractable step.
Other aspects of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following descriptions when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.